


Legacy

by Paige242



Category: Superman & Lois (TV 2020)
Genre: F/M, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:21:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29793921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paige242/pseuds/Paige242
Summary: As the family adjusts to all of the new revelations and changes Lois and Clark discuss their boys.(One-Shot, Lois POV)
Relationships: Clark Kent/Lois Lane
Comments: 5
Kudos: 59





	Legacy

**Author's Note:**

> Written pre-episode 2 so may not be cannon after that. I hope you enjoy!

Lois looked up from her laptop to see her husband and son walk into the kitchen. Both had wide smiles on their faces—that was normal for Clark, but a bit out of character for Jordan. Then again, she mused, her son had undergone a notable mood shift over the past few weeks. Ever since they had moved out to Smallville he had been in much better spirits. 

It was possible that the space and country air was doing him some good. Although, as she watched the two laugh about something they had seen in the yard, it was clear that there was more to it than that. After the initial shock had passed, Jordan seemed to embrace his newly discovered powers. Much to her surprise, he had even been eager to partake in a bit of training with his father. Clark, who had always been desperate for a way to bond with his quieter son, was more than happy to oblige. As far as she could tell, their time together had generally been going well and according to her husband the boy was a natural.

His powers were expanding by the day.

If she was being entirely honest, Lois wasn’t quite sure how she felt about that. For the last fourteen years she had secretly hoped that both boys would be spared from their father’s burden. She hated the thought of either of them in danger. It was hard enough having a husband who flew off into harrowing situations on a daily basis—she did not want the same for her boys. But, apparently, her wish hadn’t come true. Jordan was clearly his father’s son and there was nothing she could do to change that. 

The silver lining was the new closeness between the two superpowered members of their little family. But she had started to worry that there were other pitfalls on the horizon.

“What did you guys get up to?” She asked as Jordan knocked back a big swig of water.

As soon as he put down his glass, the boy smiled.

“We were practicing my jumps!” He proclaimed with an uncharacteristic degree of enthusiasm. His blue eyes were shining with excitement. “Dad was showing me how to get a good momentum going. I’m pretty close to being able to jump over the barn.”

Jordan was clearly proud of this fact and Lois did her best to smile back. The motherly worry was gnawing at her insides. The image of her baby boy jumping over such a sizable structure was unsettling. And she knew from Clark’s stories that he himself had fallen through it as a child.

Lois was glad that she hadn’t gone outside to watch.

“Glad you enjoyed it,” she managed as she gave her husband a secret glance that indicated she wasn’t actually that glad. Clark offered her a lopsided smile and a shrug. Clearly, he wasn’t the least bit worried about the situation.

She turned back towards her son. Apparently all of the running and jumping had brushed back his unwieldy hair and she was suddenly struck by how much he was beginning to look like his father. Jonathan had always been the spitting image of her father and people often said that Jon was the Lane while Jordan was the Kent.

He wasn’t just a Kent, though. Not biologically.

No…her sensitive little boy was a powerful Kryptonian. There was no way to deny that now.

“God mom, I’m fine, stop starring at me,” Jordan said, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Lois pursed her lips. “You’re filthy, sweetheart,” she noted, giving him another once-over, “go wash up before dinner.”

The teen rolled his eyes but could not deny the fact that he was covered in dust. With a soft sigh, he made his way out of the farmhouse kitchen and trudged up the stairs towards the washroom.

There was a short pause as Clark poured himself a glass of water and sat down at the other end of the table. Unlike Jordan, he wasn’t dirty. She often wondered how the man managed to stay so impeccably clean on all of his exploits. There was rarely a hair out of place.

“Don’t worry, Lois,” Clark began, clearly picking up on her earlier anxieties, “he’s coming along so quickly. As far as I can tell, his strength and invincibility are nearly as strong as mine. He brushed against a branch in the orchard today and didn’t have a scratch on him. He isn’t going to get hurt.”

There was some relief in that, though it was also a bit unsettling. A few weeks ago, they had noticed that any time Jordan got a cut it healed within minutes. Now, apparently, it was impossible for anything to even pierce his skin. It felt like everything was changing so fast and she had to wonder what lay in store next.

It was probably only a matter of time before he could fly.

“That’s good,” Lois began slowly, trying to convince herself of that, “it’s just a lot, Clark. Three months ago he didn’t even know who he was and now he’s jumping over buildings.”

Her husband let out a soft chuckle.

“I know it’s fast,” he noted, his smile growing as he spoke. It was once again clear that they were not seeing eye to eye on this. Unlike her, Clark was simply thrilled. “But Lois, this really is amazing. We didn’t even think it was possible for the boys to inherit my powers but it happened,” she could see the pride and excitement in his bright eyes, “I can see his confidence growing every day and I know this has been good for him. The real Jordan is finally free and he can be himself now. He’s thriving.” The man paused for a moment, “you were right, Lois,” he began with a hint of sheepishness, “we probably should have told him a long time ago.”

It was nice to hear him admit that she had been right all along and she was happy that Jordan was miraculously becoming more settled after years of unrest. (Who’d have guessed that alien superpowers were what he really needed all along!) But she also knew that it was going to take her a bit longer to come to terms with this new reality.

Clark may have felt closer to his son now but she was starting to feel more distant. It had always been Clark and Jonathan, and her and Jordan. But now the tables were turning.

Jordan and Clark shared something unique and there was no way for anyone else to understand what that was like.

Which brought her to another growing concern. 

“Have you been practicing a bit of football with Jonathan this week?” she asked, her thoughts shifting to her other son.

Jon was a calm and laid-back person, and on the surface he had seemed okay with all of the recent changes. But Lois knew to trust her motherly instincts. Her teenage son was not going to open up about his deep-seated insecurities and she had been watching him carefully every time Clark and Jordan started talking about their plans and adventures. Jon always managed to keep up a neutral façade but she had seen some subtle signs that he was struggling.

Jon was used to being the star. The one that his father looked to most. Her son had always remained humble about his talents but he was proud of his accomplishments. Clark was still excited to hear about his football practices and social outings, of course, but it was clear that the attention he was lavishing on Jordan was going to take some adjustment. And she feared that Jon was feeling left-out. 

Clark looked a bit surprised by her question.

“Jordan and I invited him to toss around the ball this weekend but he said he didn’t want to. I’m sure he’s probably pretty tired from all of the varsity practices.”

Lois bit her lip. As much as she loved her husband, he really could be naïve at times.

Jon had not been himself last Saturday. He had been much quieter than usual. And she was pretty sure she knew why.

“And when you guys invited him to play, were you playing regular football,” she hesitated, choosing her words carefully, “or Kryptonian football?”

Clark furrowed his brow. “I mean, Jordan wanted to practice his running, which is why we started in the first place, but as soon as Jon came out we offered to slow it down.” The man paused for a moment, realization finally dawning on his face. “Why? Do you think he was upset?”

Lois had to fight back an eye roll. Super perception had never been one of her husband’s powers, unfortunately. She would have to spell it out for him.

“Clark,” she began slowly, “you and Jordan were playing football—Jon’s favourite thing, the thing he had always excelled it—in a way that probably made him feel pretty excluded. It used to be something that the two of you did together. It was a big part of your bonding time. And now you’re suddenly playing a superpowered version with his brother.” She paused, trying to be empathetic. “I know you didn’t grow up with a sibling, and I know you didn’t mean to hurt his feelings—but trust me, Clark, that would burn. I’m starting to get pretty worried about him.”

She could see that what she had said was starting to land. She watched as Clark ran a hand through his dark hair, the concern apparent in his eyes.

“Have I been spending too much time with Jordan recently?” He finally asked, letting out a long breath.

She paused for a moment, thinking over her response. “I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “I mean, I get it. He’s more like you than we ever expected and the fact of the matter is he can do things with you that Jon can’t. I’m happy for Jordan, and I’m very happy that the two of you have been able to rebuild your relationship during the last few months. But,” she paused, glancing towards a portrait of her two boys that hung on the kitchen wall, “I think we need to be careful and not assume that Jon is as fine as he says he is.”

“He said he’s glad that he doesn’t have powers,” Clark pointed out.

That was true, he had said that, but Lois had to wonder. “Maybe in some ways he is. It does mean he can have the football career he’s always wanted, and it is a lot easier for him to just carry on with his life as if nothing has changed, but he is still a teenage boy and he had always wanted your approval.” She took a breath, “I’m sure on some level he’d like to know how it feels to run at super speed or jump over buildings. And, more importantly, I’m sure he still cares deeply about your opinion of him.”

Clark leaned back in his chair a bit, clearly jolted by the thought. “I love both of my boys equally, just like I always have.”

“Of course you do,” she nodded. “But unless we’re careful some pretty big jealousy issues are going to start cropping up.”

Her husband nodded in agreement as he began to mull thing over. 

She hadn’t meant to make him feel badly. He was always well-intentioned, and she knew he would do anything for their boys. Even though he couldn’t be there as much as they both wanted she knew that his love for them outshone everything in his universe. But parenting twins was a delicate balancing act, now more than ever.

“You’re right,” she heard him mutter softly, more to himself than to her. After a long moment, he looked up. His eyes were laced with emotion. “To be honest, Lois, I think I’ve been getting carried away by my own excitement. I always knew it was possible but I never actually thought this would really happen. My father—Jor-El, I mean—he said that the human genes would probably be dominant here on earth and the boys didn’t show signs of powers as early as I did.” Lois nodded. She had been just as convinced that they would be able to lead normal lives, despite their parentage. “But as soon as I realized that Jordan is like me I was overcome with joy,” he said this last part as if he was confessing to something terrible. Apparently, his joy had been coupled with guilt. “I didn’t want him to feel like an outcast or bear the burdens that I do…but the selfish side of me was thrilled.”

Lois smiled sympathetically.

“I get it, Clark. You spent so much of your life feeling alone. It was just you. And then finally, Kara. But your planet is gone.” They had discussed this before and he had tried to explain what an odd and overwhelming feeling that was. She knew that she could never truly understand, though she did try her best to empathize.

“I’m happy that he’s like me,” he admitted, his eyes cast downward and his voice laced with emotion. “So happy. And…” he trailed off, reluctant to continue. “I know it’s stupid Lois, and I know I need to stop caring about the thoughts of people who are long-dead…but I can’t help it. I feel proud that the House of El will not end with me. I’d like to think that Jor-El would…” 

A heavy silence fell over the room as Clark trailed off and Lois found herself reaching across the table to place her hand on top of his.

It was hard for him to acknowledge but he had always cared a lot about what his father would think. The man was nothing but a hologram now but he had still managed to shape Clark’s life in a lot of ways. 

Clark had chosen both of their son’s names. One for each of his fathers.

It seemed fitting that the one named in honour of the heroic Kyrptonian scientist was now the one to carry on that part of his father’s legacy. 

“It’s okay, Clark,” she began softly, hoping to provide some reassurance. “It’s okay to feel proud. I don’t know what it’s like to be you and I get that having another person with Kryptonian powers around here is a pretty big deal,” she paused, her mind briefly picturing Clark and Jordan, soaring together above the clouds. “But let’s not forget that this is Jon’s legacy too. He may not have powers, but he is still part-Kryptonian. No matter what he says, he deserves to be part of this.”

“You’re right,” Clark said softly, nodding again. He shifted awkwardly in his chair. “God, Lois, I hope he’ll forgive me. I can’t believe I’ve been so naïve.”

“He will,” Lois said confidently. She was quite certain of that. “And it’s okay Clark,” she continued as she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, “we’re all…well, not _human_ strictly speaking…but we’re all flawed. No one is perfect, not even Superman.” 

All of these changes were going to take some time.

Some readjustment.

And Lois knew that some days were probably going to be easier than others.

But she was pretty sure that they would all find their way.


End file.
